1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed toward systems for authenticating online service users, and more particularly, to a system that interfaces with the each user's network device to measure the client system's hardware configuration and thereby generate a device identifier that can be used to authenticate the user.
2. Description of the Related Art
Currently, there are limited ways to authenticate online users of services and content, such as social networking sites, auction sites, shopping sites, etc. One known approach has been to require a credit card to create an account or authenticate an account user. The hope is that the collection of personally identifiable information, such as credit card data, driver's licenses, etc. will keep online users accountable for their actions. However, such approaches may be inconvenient for all users, including legitimate ones who do not have a credit card or do not wish to provide personal information, and thereby may drive potential legitimate users away.
Accordingly, it would be very desirable to provide an authentication service that provides reliable identification of users, without being unduly burdensome for online service users. Such a service may be used alone, or in conjunction with other security/authentication measures.